Familia falters again as Mets fall to Rockies

New York Mets relief pitcher Jeurys Familia reacts after a run scored on a wild pitch during the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies Thursday. The Rockies beat the Mets 2-1.

New York Mets relief pitcher Jeurys Familia reacts after a run scored on a wild pitch during the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies Thursday. The Rockies beat the Mets 2-1.

Photo: FRANK FRANKLIN II — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo: FRANK FRANKLIN II — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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New York Mets relief pitcher Jeurys Familia reacts after a run scored on a wild pitch during the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies Thursday. The Rockies beat the Mets 2-1.

New York Mets relief pitcher Jeurys Familia reacts after a run scored on a wild pitch during the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies Thursday. The Rockies beat the Mets 2-1.

Photo: FRANK FRANKLIN II — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Familia falters again as Mets fall to Rockies

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NEW YORK >> Daniel Descalso took a calculated risk in a big spot.

And it paid off big time.

With his team trying to rally against Mets closer Jeurys Familia, the Rockies first baseman stepped to the plate with runners on first and second and nobody out.

After fouling off his first two sacrifice attempts, he found himself in an unenviable position against the NL’s save leader.

Rather than swing away with two strikes, he squared to bunt again.

The usually steady Familia stumbled for a second straight game, allowing two runs in the ninth inning and Colorado beat New York 2-1 Thursday for their seventh win in eight games.

Less than 24 hours after Familia’s streak of 52 consecutive regular-season saves was snapped, the right-hander entered in the top of the ninth with a 1-0 lead, and couldn’t hold it.

Trevor Story had a leadoff single and stole second. After fellow rookie David Dahl walked, Descalso bunted up the first base line. Mets catcher Rene Rivera watched as the ball spun toward foul territory but it stopped fair, loading the bases with no out.

“I knew it had a lot of English on it and I was looking back to try to see if it was going foul and I guess it stopped right on the line,” Descalso said.

“I didn’t want to hit into a double play. He’s got a good sinker and if I put it in play good chance it’s going to be on the ground, so I decided to take a chance and get the bunt down 0-2.”

With one out, Familia (2-3) got pinch-hitter Cristhian Adames to hit a slow grounder to the right side. First baseman James Loney misplayed the ball and Story scored to make it 1-all. Familia then threw a wild pitch, allowing Dahl to cross the plate with the go-ahead run.

“Familia is as good as there is in the game,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. “Their staff overall, you’re not going to come in here and put up big innings and big crooked numbers. You’ve got to scratch and claw for everything.”

Dealing with a rare early start to open a series because of a camp day at Citi Field, neither offense was able to do much against starters Jacob deGrom and Tyler Anderson.

DeGrom allowed only one runner to reach second base in seven scoreless innings.

Rivera drove in the only Mets’ run in the second inning with a double into the right-center field gap, but was easily tagged out at third trying to stretch it into a triple.

Anderson struck out five and walked none, allowing seven hits over six innings.

“The goal every time is to try to give up zero runs,” Anderson said. “You do realize in a game like this that if you give them up you’ve really got to try to limit them.”

Jordan Lyles (3-3) pitched a scoreless eighth for the Rockies, and closer Carlos Estevez had a perfect ninth for his 11th save.

New York loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh inning off of reliever Jake McGee. Right-hander Scott Oberg came on to retire three straight batters to end the threat.

Colorado had been 0-41 this season when trailing after eight innings before Thursday’s win, a victory which snapped a 10-game road losing streak against the Mets.

“That’s one of the better wins of the year, if not the best,” Weiss said. “Really proud of our guys.”

WHO WANTS IT?

Rockies catcher Tony Wolters and Descalso collided in front of home plate in the bottom of the fourth, both going after Wilmer Flores’ popup. The ball started in foul territory, but drifted fair. Each fielder fell to the ground after the collision, with Wolters holding on for the out. They both remained in the game.

QUICK START

Dahl has hit safely in his first four games in the majors, including his first multi-hit game on Thursday.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: 3B Jose Reyes missed his third straight game with a strained left ribcage, hurt during his final at-bat in the first game of a doubleheader on Tuesday. “He was pretty sore last night when he left here,” Mets manager Terry Collins said before the game on Thursday. “I talked to the trainers before I left and they said there’s just no way he’s going to be able to play tomorrow.” ... OF Yoenis Cespedes was not in the starting lineup due to a flare-up of a right quad injury first sustained on July 8. “Last night he came in when the game was over and said it was starting to bother him pretty bad,” Collins said. Cespedes was walked intentionally as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning and was promptly lifted for a pinch runner.

Rockies: OF Gerardo Parra (sprained left ankle) is set to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Hartford on Friday. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Jun. 17, retroactive to the 15th.

UP NEXT

Rockies: RHP Tyler Chatwood (9-6, 3.65) takes the hill on Friday night. He is 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in four starts against the Mets. The 26-year-old won on Sunday against Atlanta, allowing no runs over five innings despite walking eight.

Mets: LHP Steven Matz (8-6, 3.36) earned the win on Sunday in Miami, his first since May 25.